Man who assaulted cop is sent to prison

Last week, a Tooele County man who was accused of using a pickup truck to attempt to kill a police officer was sentenced to prison.

In December, Marty Lee Giles, 46, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, which are both second-degree felonies. For each count, Giles was sentenced to serve one to 15 years in prison.

The sentences will run concurrently. Giles was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for each charge.

Last July, Giles was accused of using a stolen pickup truck to run down a police officer on the West Side of Summit County.

The officer from the Salt Lake Unified Police Department was on foot when he was struck by the vehicle as Giles tried to escape in Summit Park, Summit County Attorney David Brickey said.

"As [Giles] was attempting to walk back to the stolen vehicle the officer identified himself and said stop," Brickey explained. "Giles continued to walk away from the officer, attempted to get in his vehicle and drive away. At that point the officer identified himself, tried to reach in and stop the defendant from driving away and the defendant accelerated down the hill with the officer’s arm in the vehicle, dragging him along the side of the car."

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A rear tire on the vehicle rolled over the officer’s hip and ankle, Brickey added.

"He’s got a lifetime injury and something that, according to the officer at sentencing, will probably prohibit him from being able to get to a 30-year retirement because of his physical condition," Brickey said.

He added that the truck was stolen from an area the officer patrols in Salt Lake County.

"When the car was initially listed stolen it had one of those OnStar tracking systems that was immediately activated," Brickey said.

The vehicle was discovered heading east through Parleys Canyon.

"As the vehicle got to the top of Summit Park it turned off at the summit and the OnStar signal dropped out," Brickey said.

The officer then spotted the truck in Summit Park.

According to Brickey, Giles is a "menace to society."

"He went to prison where he deserved to be and hopefully he will be there for a very long time," Brickey said.

Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds said he was on the scene the day the officer was injured.

Giles deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison, Edmunds said.

"If I had my druthers he’d never get out," Edmunds said. "[Giles] tried to kill a police officer. I believe that strongly, and in our society that’s a pretty big deal. Police officers and sheriff deputies are the most conspicuous manifestations of government that we have and when you attack them, really in my opinion, it’s an attack on the government."

Giles was represented by Ron Yengich, an attorney in Salt Lake County. Yengich was not available to comment about the case.